Sign carrier



Sept. 12, 1939. Q BRQWNELLV 2,172,787

SIGN CARRIER Filed Nov. 18, 1958 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to sign carriers and is particularly adapted for holding signs to: shelves and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a clamp for holding a portable sign that consists of one piece of material.

Another object of the invention is to provide a clamp for grasping the sign that can be released from the sign by compressing the clip.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a clamp that will grip shelving and the like of different thickness with the same effective amount of grip without unduly distorting.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawing, specification and claims to follow.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the clamp for holding portable signs and the like.

Figure 2 is a sectional View of a shelf, illustrating the clamping mechanism attached thereto.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the lower end of the holding clamp, illustrating the clip for holding the sign.

Figure 4 is an edge view of the sign engaging clamp, the sign being shown in vertical section, the clamp being shown in sign engaging position in full lines and in sign releasing relation in dotted lines.

In the drawing:

I is the main body portion of my new and improved holding clamp for supporting signs and the like to shelving. 2 indicates the usual conventional shelf, having my holding clamp clamped thereon. The upper end of the body I terminates in a flat circle 3, turned downwardly at 4 at a right angle. The turned portion 5 extending downwardly is again bent at right angles at 6, forming a horizontal portion I, or this portion may be formed in the shape of a circle. An upwardly extending portion 8 terminates in a loop 9 for the purpose of bearing on the under surface II! of the shelf. The circular portion 3 rests on the top of the shelf, as shown in Figure 2. The downwardly extending portion 5 extends down over the front of the shelf. The portion I extends rearwardly terminating in the upwardly extending arm 8 under the center of the loop 3, this causes a clamping action against the shelf 2.

One of the primary objects of this invention, as far as the clamp just described, is that a spring tension is maintained completely through the loop 3, the downward portion 5, the portion 1 and. the terminating clamp portion 8, which makes it almost impossible to spring the clamp out of shape, at the same time giving an effective gripping action regardless of the thickness of the shelving; if there were any short twisted bends or the like this would not be possible and herein resides a very important feature.

Referring to the lower portion of the holding arm I, a loop I I is formed, a reverse bend is made at I2, extending downward forming the loop I3, which has another reverse bend I I, finally terminating in the extension I5.

Referring to Figure 3, the loop I I is shown bearing against the surface I6 of the sign H, the loop I3 bears against the opposite side of the sign I'I, gripping the sign therebetween.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be noted that the loop I3 extends forwardly of the loop II, but when the sign I! is inserted the loop I3 is forced backward of the loop I I suficient distant by pressure on the arm I5 to permit the sign I! being 20 inserted between the loop I I and the loop I3, best shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The arm I5 is for the purpose of forcing the loop I3 in between and behind the loop I I when pressure is brought to bear on the arm I5, allowing the insertion of the sign H or the removal thereof of the sign.

It will therefore be readily understood that I have provided a holding bracket for supporting portable signs constructed of one piece of mate- 30 rial providing for a means of clamping it to a support and a simple gripping means for holding the sign or card on its opposite end.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact shape and construction, as other modifications could be made, still coming within the scope of the claims to follow.

What is claimed tobe new is:

1. A portable sign carrier for shelves and the like, comprising an appropriate length of wirelike element formed at one end with a shelf engaging clampand at the opposite end with a sign engaging clamp, the sign engaging clamp comprising integral relatively outer and inner loops between which the sign is inserted, the inner loop extending normally at an angle to the outer loop with the free end of the inner loop forward of the plane of the outer loop to provide a clamping action when the loops are separated by an inserted card, and means carried by the inner loop whereby such inner loop may be moved into a plane outwardly from that of the outer loop to release an inserted card at will.

2. A portable sign carrier for shelves and the like, comprising an appropriate length of wirelike material, a shelf engaging clamp at one end thereof and a. sign engaging clamp at the other end thereof, the sign engaging clamp being formed integrally with the'element by bending the element into U-form to provide an outer loop and projecting the element beyond the loop form to provide a U-shaped inner loop of less transverse and vertical dimensions than those of the outer loop, the normal plane of the inner loop being at an angle to the plane of the outer loop, the element beyond the inner loop being extended in the form of an arm at an angle to the inner loop to provide a means whereby the inner loop may be manually moved into a plane beyond that of the outer loop.

3. A portable sign carrier for use with shelves and the like, comprising an appropriate length of wire-like element formed at one end with a shelf clamp including a fiat circular formation having a depending portion normally at right angles to the plane of the circular formation, a lateral extension normally at right angles to the plane of the depending portion, and an upwardly extending arm normally parallel to the depending portion with a curved terminal, the opposite end of the wire-like element having a sign engaging clamp.

4. A construction as d'efined in claim 3, wherein the shelf engaging clamp and sign engaging clamp are normally in relatively right angularly related planes to permit a sign inserted in the sign engaging clamp to depend vartically in readable position while the shelf engaging clamp cooperates with a horizontally disposed shelf.

EARL C. BROWNELL. 

